Improvement in steam-generators



ital finder gem fire.

" a sa Letters Patent No. 90,506, dated llfag 25, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-GENERATORS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, BExJAM N Unaweonn, of Allegheny City, in the county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements on Steam-Generators; and 1 do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accordpanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, sheet 1, is a front elevation of the, steamgeuerator, set in masonry, and having the front plates of the tube-boxes removed, to expose ,the ends of the tubes.

Figure 2, sheet 1,'is a cross-section, taken vertically through the generator, in the vertical plane indicated by the red lines at a in fig. 3.

Figure 3, sheet 2, is a longitudinal section, taken through the generator, in the vertical plane indicated by the red line 1 y in fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements on that class of steam-generators wherein the water is contained in a series of tubes, which are externally exposed to the action of heat, and which communicate with each other at their ends, so that there will be a free circulation of water in them, and so that the water will maintain an equilibrium.

This class of steam-generators are preferable to those which contain the entire body of water exposed to heat within a single shell, chiefly on account of safety, economy of fuel, portability, and the rapidity with which steam can be generated.

The object I have in view in making this invention,

First, to improve this class of steam-generators in such a manner as to bring these into practical use thereby bringing into use a class of boilers not liable to explosion.' In. order to accomplish this, it is necessary to arrange the tnbesin the most compact form possible in the furnace, so as to concentrate the heat of the furnace upon the largest numbers of tubes, or fire-surface. This will utilize the heat in a much greater degree than if' the heat from the same amount of fuel was expended on an equal number of tubes in alarger space. For this purpose I employ boxes, or chests, each of which will contain a number of tubes, the ends of which are secured to the inner or tube-plates of the boxes, and so divided as to occupy the least space consistent with an allowance of suiiicient room between the tubes for the'draught of the furnace.

Second, that the arrangement of the boxes shall be such that the ends of each of the tubes can be worked at unobstructedly 'with the expander and calkingchisel, this being the manner in which they are secured to the boxes. For this purpose, each box must consistof two parts, one of which is the box proper, con- 'sisting of the back or tube-plate, and the four sides, 7

and the other part being the head or door-plate. The four sides of the boxes are,plain plates, without any inward projections whatever, so that when-the doorplate is off, each tube is fully exposed, and can be worked at on every part of it for the purpose of cleaning, repairing, or removing, and another substituted without disturbing any of the other tubes, or if necessary, the ends of any tube can be plugged up by removing the heads of the boxes to which it is attached. Tilt rd, to provide this class of boilers with a fount of water, so that the supply will .not be dependent upon an exact quantity of water to be thrown in at each stroke of the pump, and also that the fount of water should be snn'ieient to allow the sediment of mud or salt to be blown out of the reservoir at the bottom without the liability of drawing all out of the tubes thereby. For this purpose, I attach the elevated reservoir, which is to receive the feed-water from the pump. From the top of this reservoir, 21. pipe is attached, which unites it with the steam-drum, and produces an equilibrium of pressure above the water in the reservoir, which will allow the water to pass down freely, especially when blowing out, and will prevent the water from falling below its proper level in the tubes. The pipe which unites the water-reservoir with the steam-drum also serves to drain the water that may be carried by the steam into the steam-drum into the reservoir.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will describe its construction and operation. i

In the accompanying drawings- A A represent vertical side walls, which enclose two sides of a furnace, containing my improved steam-generator B, in the fire-wall; O the crown or roof, D the stack, F the tire-chamber, F its door, P the ash-pit, P its door, and p the grate; all of which parts may be constructed as shown in the drawings, or in any other suitable manner.

The generator consists of a number of tubes, G, of suitable size and length, secured at their front and rear ends to boxes J J, and arranged in planes inclining toward the rear of the furnace.

These tubes G-may be arranged as shown in figs. 1, 2, and 3, or in any other manner which will allow the ,flame and products of combustion to circulate freely around them in passing from the chamber F to the smoke-stack I).

The arrangement shown in the drawings will admit of the greatest number of tubes to be arranged in a given space; but, if desired, the tubes may be arranged differently.

The boxes J are all made alike, and each box is preferably made of two parts, to wit: four sides cast in one piece, and provided with a removable head or plate, J.

for receiving the ends of four pipes G, there being oue box for the front ends of every four pipes, and one box forthe rear ends of the same.

This requires that the inner or abutting ends g of the boxes should be made slanting, as shown in fig. 1. Under a difl'erent arrangement of the tubes or pipes G, the boxes may be made rectangular.

The ends of the tubes 'G may be secured to the boxes in the usual manner of securing the fines of steam-boilers to their flue-sheets, and, if desirable, the boxes of each set of tubes may be secured together by long bolts, extending from one to another of these boxes. I

The boxes J, which are applied to the front, as well as to the rear endsof the tubes G, are arrangedone upon another, so as to form hollow rectangular walls,

'made up of sections or apartments, which communicate with each other through vertical passages e 0,

shown in fig. 3. I

On top of the front wall of boxes, and connnunicat ing with the top-boxes of this wall'by means of short pipes t t, is the steam-drum S, which occupies the highest point of the, generator; and on top 'of the rear wall of boxes J is the feed-drum N, which communicates with the top boxes of its wall, by means of pipes 11-, and also with the steam-space of drum, S, by means I of the pipe L.

Y At the base of the rear wall of boxes J, and communicating with the bottom boxes of this wall, is the mud-well M, which occupies the lowest point of the generator. w,

The generator receives its supply of water through feed-pipe T and reservoir or drum N, which latter will, if kept full of water, prevent any of the pipes or tubes G from becoming empty.

This reservoir will, in practice have the gauges and try-cocks applied to its ends in the same manner as similar devices are applied to ordinary steam-generators.

It will be seen from the above description, that thewater-tubes G are secured at their ends to front and rear walls, having their outer sides exposed, and that these walls are composed of a number of small boxes or chests, which are secured "together and made 'to communicate with each other, so that there will be a free circulation of water through tubes and boxes, and the water will find its equilibrium: in the drums N S.

It will also be seen that each one of the boxes J, composing said walls, is provided with a head or plate, J, upon the removal of which the interior of the tubes G of such box will be exposed, so that these tubes can be conveniently cleaned or repaired or, if one or more of the tubes should give out, the ends can be plugged up and the generator made'to operate efficiently without it.

It will also be seen that nearly all't-he sediment.

which is carried into the generator with the water will descend through the two sectional end walls, through theinclined tubes G, and finally reach the well M, from which it can be blown out at any time,

For. the purpose of distributing the flame and heated products of combustion among the tubes G, a deflecting-'plate, B, may be arranged over the fire-chamber F, so as-to extend from the front wall of the generator toward the rear wall a suitable distance to direct the flame and products toward this wall, thenceforward to the stack 1), as indicated by the arrows. in fig. 3.

Having described my invention,

What -I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,- 'is'- I 1. I A steam-generator, constructed of nests of tubes, the ends of which aresecured inboxes or chests, such chests communicating directly with one another, substantially in the mannerherein set forth.

2. Boxes or chests, each containing a plurality of tubes, and constructed with removable doors,.substantially in the manner herein described.

3. The water-reservoir N, connected with the steamdrum S, or other part, in combination with the inclined tubesol' the generator, substantially as described.

4. The diaphragm It, in combination with the inclined tubes, and the chimney D- of the generator, all

arranged substantially as herein specified.

5. The combination of the mud-well M, inclined tubes G, chambers S and N, and' boxes J c, substantially as herein specified.

Witness my hand, in matter of my application for a patent for improvement in steam-boilers.

BENJ. CRAWFORD. Witnesses:

Jumus vHmscn, R. T. CAMPBELL. 

